Improvement in blast-regulators for grain-separators



A. W. FOX. p 0vem'e5 ntir 1Blast-RegulatorfOr Grain-Separators,

N0 131,870. v Patented 0ct.1,1872.

Unrrnn S'rA'rns PATENT OFFICE;

ABRAHAM W. FOX, OF MGOONNELLSBUBG, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BLAST-REGULATORS FOR GRAIN-SEPARATOR S.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 131,570, dated October1, 1872.

To all whom it may concernf Be it known that I, ABRAHAM W. Fox, of

McOonnellsburg, in the county of Fulton and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented a new and improved Blast-Regulator for Grain-Separators; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawingforming part of this specification, inwhich- Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of my improved blast-regulator Fig. 2, a front elevation of thesame; 'and Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal section.

Similar letters of reference in the accompanying drawing indicate thesame parts.

My invention has for its object to provide improved means forautomatically regulating the fan-blast of a grain separator orfanningmill irrespective of the speed of the fan. this end, theinvention consists in constructing the fan-case in the form of acylinder with radial openings in its ends, each opening having anexterior radial wing, and in combining therewith two circular end gateshavwhich are each provided upon one edge with an outwardly projectingradial wing, G. D is the fan, the shaft of which has its bearings in theends of the case, and is provided upon one end with the driving-pulley Eor a suitable gearwheel. F are the circular gates, mounted loosely uponthe fan-shaft, so as to bear against the ends of the case .upon theoutside, and connected to each other by strips Gr passing longitudinallyover the case, as shown. Thegates are also constructed with radialopenings to register with the openings in the case, and

with radial wings H along the edge of each opening opposite the wings ofthe case.

When the machineis in operation the air is drawn into the. case throughthe" openings B,

between the wings O H, and as the speed of the fan increases a partialvacuum is producedwithin the fan-case, causing the wings to approacheach other at each opening, so as to decrease the size of the latter andreduce proportionatelythe strength of the blast. The gates are opened,for the admission of a larger volume of air to the fan as the speeddecreases, by weights attached to one of the strips Gr or to the gatesthemselves. The gates should be so weighted or adjusted that thepassages B shall open when the machine is at rest or at alow rate ofspeed, and close gradually as the speed increases.

' By this construction a uniform blast is maintained automaticallyirrespective of the variable speed of the fan, and all danger of blowingthe grain over the sieves of the machine,

or of cleaning it improperly, is consequently avoided.

The winged gates are sensitive to the slightest variations in speed, andthe openings are therefore closed and uncovered with the utmost ease, sothat any sudden change of speed does not affect the uniformity of theblast.

I is an opening in the front of the case through which the blast isdriven by the tan to the sieves of the machine, as will be readilyunderstood.

The regulator may be attached to any ordinary fanning-mill orgrain-separator, or form apart of their construction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- '1. The fan-case A,constructed in cylindrical form andprovided with the radial openings Band rings (3, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

2. In combination with the radial openings and wings of the fan-case, Iclaim'the circular gates, having corresponding openings and wings,substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

3. A blast-regulator for grain-separators,.

consisting of acircular fan-case having radial end openings and wings,and circular end gates having corresponding openings and wings, saidgates being arranged to automatically close or partly close thewind-openings when a partial vacuum is produced within the fan-case,substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

ABRAHAM W. FOX.

Witnesses W. A. SLOAN, J OHN R. Fox.

